Friday, April 16, 2010

Yoga Voices in My Head

I had to go to a luncheon for work yesterday, and there was a motivational speaker. Yeah, I know, it was thrilling, beyond belief. And yes, it was the typical, "You can do it!" and "Just change your attitude!" stuff you always hear from motivational speakers.

She was perky and tiny, and I wanted to wring her size two little neck most of the time. I'd be motivated too. If I could button my pants.

One thing she said was that for every negative thing she hears her little inner voice say about herself, she makes herself think of two positive things. Which might be kind of corny, but I do say a lot of bad stuff to myself lately. So, it kind of stuck with me.

I went to yoga last night for the first time in six weeks. Okay, it's not the first time I went to yoga in six weeks, but it's the first time I got to do yoga in six weeks.

And it was rough. I'm tellin' ya. Six weeks worth of not doing yoga (or much of anything for that matter) isn't pretty for this chick.

You want to know how many times during a one hour yoga class I said something negative to myself? I lost count after 47. And half the time, I'd be trying to think of the two positives, "My calves are really strong!" and the negative would pop in and says, "But not as strong as they used to be!" before I got the second positive out. Which meant I had to think of three positives then.

I think.

I kind of kept losing track.

Anyway, the biggest positive I kept telling myself, is, "Hey! You're here. You haven't been in a long time, and it would have been easier to stay home. But you're here."

And I know it will get easier next week.

4 comments:

Regina said...

I think you are right. Keep on those positive messages - why, oh why, is the negative stuff SO much easier?

Writing Without Periods! said...

Positive messages are the best. Keep going.
Mary

Karen M. Peterson said...

I'm much better at using that strategy with other people than with myself. When someone is really down on themselves, I'll instantly demand that they say something nice about themselves. Right away. It's funny how resistant people are to do that.

Meera said...

Well, good for you for getting to yoga! The practice of changing a negative thought to a positive one is actually an ancient yoga practice, called pratipaksha bhavana...so even if this is all you do, you will be practicing Yoga!